Sinn Fein Ard
Fheis 2003

Sue Ramsey MLA supporting Motion 81 on Health

In supporting motion 81 which calls on both administrations in
the 6 and 26 counties to provide adequate funding for the
emergency services. Adequate funding also includes adequate pay
for those working in these services. I would therefore urge this
Ard Fheis to reiterate its support of the fire brigade union in
the 6 counties in their campaign to gain a decent wage for its
members.

The approach of the British government to the dispute has been
scandalous. The British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has
been using Britain's illegal invasion of Iraq as a pretext for
trampling over the democratic rights of workers. He has
announced that if the fire fighters do not accept the offer being
presented to them, he will introduce an emergency law for
allowing him to impose a pay settlement and to direct the
operations of the fire service.

His reason? The fire dispute is keeping 19,000 British military
personnel from contributing to the carnage in the gulf. If
struggling for a decent wage was not enough justification for a
fire fighters' strike, then Prescott's announcement provides an
irrefutable reason for the fire fighters to continue their
dispute with vigour.

It beggars belief that a British government that calls itself
labour is prepared to sign away worker's rights to collective
bargaining at the stroke of a pen because those workers will not
agree to a settlement being imposed on them.

The right of a worker to withdraw his or her labour is a
fundamental right. It would seem that the British government is
rapidly heading towards a position where it will seek to deny
that right. If it goes down that line, it will do damage to this
emergency service. The fire service is dependent upon the
professionalism, enthusiasm and good will of its workers. Fire
fighters do a dangerous, difficult and complicated job. To treat
them in such a disrespectful way cannot but affect their morale.
Low morale is not the way to get the best out of people,
especially people who we expect to put their lives on the line if
needs be. Rather than improving the efficiency of the fire
service, the approach being adopted by the British government is
almost certainly going to have the effect of compromising
efficiency.

By threatening the FBU in the way that he has, John Prescott has
thrown down a gauntlet to all trades unionists he is saying
essentially that he will not tolerate industrial dissent. No one
should underestimate the seriousness of this challenge. If the
British Government gets away with it in this case, it will use it
again in future disputes. It is therefore important that all
those who seek for a fair and just society where governments
cannot impose unjust laws at a whim support the fire fighters.

So to some up, I would urge delegates to support motion 81 The
fire fighters deserve our support because they have a good case
for their demands, they deserve our support because of the effect
their dispute is having on the British war effort in Iraq, and
they deserve our support because if the British government gets
away with such an approach to industrial relations, then other
groups of workers will surely bear the brunt of its arrogance in
the future.